In spite of the vitriol spewed toward the movie “American Sniper,” Americans flocked to see the Clint Eastwood biopic of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in record numbers. The previous record for a movie opening on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend was set last year by “Ride Along,” which opened with $41 million. “American Sniper” is estimated to have more than doubled that, bringing in an astounding $90.2 million.

Earlier this month, TLC brought back "Sister Wives," a reality show featuring the Utah-based polygamist Brown family of four wives and 17 children, for another season. Since last season, the Browns struck down a major piece of state legislation that may pave the way for the legalization of polygamy under the guise of “religious freedom.” In a nod to anti-gay marriage advocates who warned the legalization of same-sex marriage would lead to other kinds of sexual freedoms, such as polygamy, the ruling is deemed a watershed moment for the rights of polygamist families— of which there is estimated to be...

There was a quiet and peaceful stillness about the cemetery this January day. It was snowing heavily and the pristine white was accumulating between thousands of rows of headstones marking the graves of our true heroes who gave their lives in battle or died in old age, having served our country for decades, fighting enemies to preserve our freedom. A very old general was being buried that day and the Honor Guard and the ceremonial horses were barely visible in the heavy snow. I could hear the cadence of the steps and the horse hooves beating rhythmically against the asphalt....

Nearly 1.7 million WWII veterans are living today, and the Honor Flight Network exists to make sure they are not forgotten. Since 2005, this nonprofit organization has flown nearly 100,000 service members to visit the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Many Christians take the beginning of a new year to evaluate their Bible reading habits, and then change or begin a Bible readingÂ plan.For your convenience, weâ€™ve compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from. Maybe in 2014 you will read more of the Bible each day. Perhaps youâ€™ll slow down your reading and instead spend more time considering what you read. Whatever it is youâ€™re looking for in a reading plan, you should find itÂ below. 52 Week Bible ReadingÂ PlanRead...

We are flying our American flag today in honor of our country’s 237 years of independence from British tyranny. Our flag celebrates my husband’s 27 years of devoted service to our country and the sacrifice of millions of faceless and unknown Americans before him who gave their all to preserve liberty. Our flag honors millions of legal immigrants who had sailed to the New York harbor in unspeakable conditions and waited out the quarantine at Ellis Island to come to the new world.

There’s nothing very romantic about a man being beheaded because of his politically incorrect views. But February 14 marks the 1744th anniversary when tradition tells us that St. Valentine was executed in the Roman Empire for practicing his Christianity. This was under a persecution of Emperor Claudius II, who banned his soldiers from marrying because he thought that single men could serve as better warriors. He also forced the emperor-worship of a predecessor, Gallienus, upon the empire. This was something practicing Jews and Christians could not do---they worshiped God alone. Author Bill Federer notes the consequences of Claudius’ actions on...

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States...

FIGHT ON - NEVER WAIVER, NEVER FALTER Late on election night, November 6, 2012...actually probably early in the morning hours of November 7th at the time...well after Ohio and then Virginia were called, and then after listening to the speeches by Romney and Obama, I wrote the following and shared it with friends and groups I frequent. "God in Heaven has answered our prayers...but not the answer we hoped and prayed for. I have faith in Him, and accept His will. It just means we have to work harder, that we will probably have to endure much more, and that...

"Four years ago, I stood before you and said that, 'Israel’s security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable.' That belief has guided my actions as President. The fact is, my administration’s commitment to Israel’s security has been unprecedented," President Obama said at the AIPAC convention on Sunday. "Our military and intelligence cooperation has never been closer. Our joint exercises and training have never been more robust. Despite a tough budget environment, our security assistance has increased every single year."

Every summer, sprinklers, pools, ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, and oceans are invaded by swarms of people looking to escape the heat. Water is wonderful! It offers a refreshing playground in which to frolic. Great memories are had around water including fishing, skiing, surfing, tubing and swimming. Many swimmers have feelings of fear and joy when it comes to remembering the high dive. It doesn’t matter if the high dive was the standard board 12 feet above the water, a rock outcropping, or a local bridge. The experiences all take the individual through a similar range of emotions. In reflection, it...

The White House postponed an event scheduled for Wednesday afternoon where President Obama was supposed to receive an award for a commitment to transparency due to unspecified “changes to the president’s schedule.” The award was to be presented by organizers of the Freedom of Information Day conference in conjunction with “Sunshine Week” for the president’s “deep commitment to an open and transparent government—of, by, and for the people.” The Associated Press reported this week that despite pledges of increased transparency, the Obama administration last year responded to fewer Freedom of Information Act requests than the year before. In 2010 there...

We keep hearing that young men are failing to adapt to contemporary life. Their financial prospects are impaired—earnings for 25- to 34-year-old men have fallen by 20 percent since 1971. Their college enrollment numbers trail women's: Only 43 percent of American undergraduates today are men. Last year, women made up the majority of the work force for the first time. And yet there is one area in which men are very much in charge: premarital heterosexual relationships. [snip] What many young men wish for—access to sex without too many complications or commitments—carries the day. If women were more fully in...

I found this shocking video on Youtube, censored out the cursing, and reposted it. She did this awful task to get two boys to come to church for four Sundays. It makes me ask myself, "How far am I willing to go to get my friends to come to church?" Note: There are a lot of copies of this video floating around. I censored mine, but if you watch it from other sources, be forewarned: There is a lot of cursing. - Jim Bennett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyKjHOqCYK4

In his Tucson speech, Presi dent Obama rightly said that "terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding." Why that morning? Why Gabby Giffords? These and other questions can't be answered, but at a more pedestrian level, the massacre isn't so mysterious: Someone displaying all the symptoms of untreated schizophrenia killed people. This is not an extraordinarily rare or inexplicable occurrence. According to the psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey, 4 million people in the United States have serious mental illnesses, and 1.8 million of them go untreated. Two hundred thousand are homeless, and 300,000 are in jail or prison. Tormented...

Republicans introduce bill to eliminate presidential 'czars' By Michael O'Brien - 01/06/11 04:15 PM ET A group of House Republicans introduced a bill on Wednesday to rein in the various "czars" in the Obama administration. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and 28 other House Republicans introduced legislation to do away with the informal, paid advisers President Obama has employed over the past two years. The legislation, which was introduced in the last Congress but was not allowed to advance under Democratic control, would do away with the 39 czars Obama has employed during his administration. The bill defines a czar as...

It's a theme that appears in thousands of movies, books and musicals: Boy meets girl. They fall in love, marry and live happily ever after. Soul mates forever. Fully two-thirds of Americans believe in the concept of soul mates, where "two people are destined to be together," according to a recent Marist Poll. But a new study offers an important reality check about unions formed in a whirlwind of passion. "Soul mate" couples are often happy at first, because they have intense emotional and personal connections, said W. Bradford Wilcox, lead author of the article in the Sept. 1 issue...

KABUL (AFP) – President Hamid Karzai told visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday that Afghanistan would need aid to fund its security forces for up to 20 more years, calling for a long-term US commitment. The newly re-elected Karzai said his government would work to assume responsibility for Afghanistan's security within five years, but that the impoverished country lacked the funds to foot the entire bill. Gates, who held talks with Karzai on implementing a new war strategy that involves sending 30,000 extra US troops to fight the Taliban, reiterated that the United States intended to start withdrawing...

Asked about the problems Obama is facing in Afghanistan, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs went to his tried and anything-but-true playbook of demagoguery, saying: "You can't under-resource the most important part of our War on Terror - you can't under-resource that for five, or six, or seven years.....and hope to snap your fingers and have that turn around in a few months." It's all Bush's fault. That's pretty much all you have to know about the Obama administration's political strategy, in a nutshell. Gibb's by now completely expected demagoguery doesn't account for why Barack Obama has already lost more...

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, May 13, 2009 – With piracy generating big news in the Gulf of Aden, a far-less-recognized multilateral partnership has brought pirates’ swashbuckling days to a virtual halt in the strategic Strait of Malacca. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, praised a partnership among Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and, increasingly, Thailand and the Philippines, that has boosted maritime security dramatically. An estimated 40 percent of the world’s trade -- about 50,000 vessels each year -- transit the narrow passageway that links the Indian and Pacific oceans. Until three years ago, pirates trolling the strait...

AmericanPowerBlog has an article entitled "Barack Obama's European Apology Tour" that does a fine job of cataloging the sheer number of times Barry Hussein sought to point out what a horrible country we've been. I have my own offering focusing on the irony of Obama going to France of all possible places to apologize for American arrogance. At the same event in which Obama took it upon himself to announce to the famously humble French how profoundly sorry he was for America's past arrogance, Barack Obama also shared his vision for "a world without nuclear weapons." This would possibly be...

In a previous article we gave you a taste of how grossly incompetent and inefficient government programs are and that they are far too expensive. Programs that are designed not to uplift the poor and promote self sufficiency, but actually do more to leave people dependant and keep them poor. Its not just the taxpayers that suffer, it is those who are forced to depend on them who suffer and who suffer the most. Consider the story of Sebastian Peters, born and raised in Manchester NH, from earliest moment of his childhood, Sebastian had suffered terrible cruelty under a father...

(03-15) 17:22 PDT Anchorage, Alaska (AP) -- The former fiance of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter said in an interview that they could reunite but would remain apart as friends for now. Levi Johnston, 19, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in a segment to air Monday that he and 18-year-old Bristol Palin broke up after a fight "a week, two weeks ago" and had tried to "make things work." The two are the parents of an infant son, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, born on Dec. 27. "But this is what it kind of ended up turning into," Johnson said in...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2009 – On location in the Middle of Nowhere, Iraq, filmmaker Jake Rademacher focuses his lens on a unit of young reconnaissance troops with whom he’s embedded. David Scantling, chief executive officer of private equity firm Scantling Technology Ventures; Producer Norman S. Powell; Army Capt. Isaac Rademacher, actor Gary Sinese and filmmaker Jake Rademacher pose for photos after an advance screening of “Brothers at War,” a film that documents Jake Rademacher's experience in Iraq as he sought to understand what motivates his two military brothers. The sneak preview took place Feb. 20, 2009, at the National...

Don't try convincing Ed Jansen, 74, of Cutlerville, that the institution of marriage needs propping up. Or his wife Arlyn, 72. Or Ed's brother Charlie, 83. Or Charlie's wife, Cornelia, 78. Or Cornelia's sister-in-law Wilma VanKooten, 71. Or Wilma's husband Delmer, 75. Nor Guy and Janet Jansen. Berdena and Junior Vos? Nope. Same goes for Melvin Jansen and wife, Marilyn. And the Geelses — Doris and Nelson. You'll lose the argument. Because every living son and daughter born in the past century to the late Evert and Gertie Jansen — seven kids in all — has celebrated or is about...

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2008 – Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said he was often asked after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, ‘Why?’ Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England spoke to a group of about 50 educators, doctors, lawyers, and business and community leaders at the Pentagon, April 18, 2008, during the orientation for the Joint Civilian Orientation Course. Defense Dept. file photo. (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Why did 3,000 people die,” he said people would ponder. He knows why, England told a group of about 50 educators, doctors, lawyers, and business and community leaders today at...

WASHINGTON – President Bush wants to bolster the multinational fight in Afghanistan by reminding NATO allies that the war is in their interest – and by persuading them to send more troops into battle. But this will be a challenge for Bush, who was en route to Ukraine Monday at the start of a trip that will also lead to Romania, Croatia and Russia. The NATO alliance is strained currently and is engaged in soul-searching about its place and mission in a rapidly changing world. Beyond Afghanistan, Bush is trying to score a breakthrough on a U.S.-based missile defense system...

Most of us know we're supposed to love others. Christians, who read the Bible and/or attend church, regularly encounter reminders regarding this. Still, the meaning of the term itself appears to remain unclear. Confusion comes because "love" can describe a feeling or it can describe an action. Complicating matters more, the feeling and the action which love seeks to describe need not be remotely connected to the same subject or event. For instance, my wife and I once saw an elderly woman pushing a shopping cart down a street near our home. The cart was obviously loaded with all her...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2007 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace will leave behind a lasting legacy of professionalism and commitment to the troops when he retires Oct. 1, his senior enlisted advisor and self-described “battle buddy” told American Forces Press Service today. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, his senior enlisted advisor, shake hands with Marines from the 6th Provisional Security Company at Camp Lemonier, Dijbouti, during an Aug. 14, 2007, visit. Gainey said Pace has always kept troops’ welfare at heart while serving as the top U.S....

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – The new Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here represents “an evolution in how we embrace, treat and honor,” wounded warriors, the Army vice chief of staff said at yesterday’s opening ceremony. (Video) Gen. Richard A. Cody said the new center demonstrates the military’s commitment to doing everything within its power to help wounded troops heal and go on to live productive lives. The 31,000-square-foot, $10 million center offers some of the most state-of-the-art care found anywhere in the world and makes good on the military’s promise to take care...

BAGHDAD â€” Staff Sgt. Shane Glowcheski is normally a man of few words. Out on patrol, the platoon sergeant with the 82nd Airborne Division is all business, dark sunglasses and an unreadable expression on his face. But on a recent afternoon, as he described the renovations his unit was helping to make on a girlsâ€™ school in the northern section of Baghdadâ€™s Adhamiyah District, Glowcheskiâ€™s poker face suddenly lit up with enthusiasm.â€śWe got marble floors. We got computers. We got artwork up on the walls. Weâ€™ve even got gardens. Itâ€™s Beverly Hills!â€ť boasted the Rapid City, S.D., native.Glowcheski and...

LONG POND, Pa., Aug. 6, 2007 – NASCAR’s commitment to U.S. troops fired on all cylinders at the Pocono International Raceway here yesterday. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, waves the green flag and starts the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Aug. 5, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. NASCAR is a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their...

Local Iraq officials focus on recruiting police, creating peace. By Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory TIKRIT, Iraq, May 17, 2007 — As coalition and Iraqi security forces continue to provide security and stability throughout Diyala Province, Iraq, many tribal leaders are also united in their efforts to bring peace and stand up against al-Qaida in Iraq. After a peace agreement was signed between the paramount sheiks of the Karki and Shimouri tribes, April 30, other tribal leaders gathered throughout the region to do the same – provide peace and protection for their people and their lands....

BAGHDAD — The United States Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates held a joint press conference with the Iraqi Minister of Defense Abdul Qadir al-Ubaidi about the military situation in Iraq at the Ministry of Defense building Friday. During the press conference, Secretary Gates stated that Iraq is an important ally and vital partner in the global war on terror, and Fardh Al-Qanoon. This commitment will be long term, said Gates. “It is a commitment to work with the Iraqis to ensure their sovereignty, train their legitimate security forces and provide support for security reform and modernization,” said Gates. Iraqis...

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2007 – It’s imperative – especially during wartime – that the Defense Department continues to provide viable family and troop morale programs for servicemembers and their families, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. “Our military families are the heart and soul of troops on the battlefield,” Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on military personnel at a Capitol Hill hearing. The Defense Department “has made family support a priority and redesigned and boosted family support in a number of ways...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2007 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney today in Australia reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to peace, progress and freedom in the Asia-Pacific region. “In this neighborhood of the globe,” Cheney said in an address to the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue in Sydney, “millions look to our countries to promote security, economic progress, and democratic ideals.” Cheney noted that President Bush had expressed the same sentiment in a speech before the Australian Parliament in October 2003. “As President Bush said when he spoke to your Parliament, America will continue a forward presence in Asia and continue our close...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2007 – The new commander and top enlisted soldier of Combined Joint Task Force 76 emphasized their commitment to success In Afghanistan at a news conference here yesterday. Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez (left) and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel, Combined Joint Task Force 76, speak with local and international media Feb. 8 about the continued security and economic development of Regional Command East in Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. Timothy Dinneen, USA '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel used the...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2007 – The outgoing commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan said the United States is committed to NATO’s success in Afghanistan and will remain the single largest contributor of troops to the mission. Army Gen. John Abizaid, left, presents Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Jan. 21 in Kabul, Afghanistan, for his service as commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan since May 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher DeWitt '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The U.S. is a member of NATO. NATO’s success is the U.S.’s success, which is...

SARALAND, Ala. (BP)--The number of unmarried couples living together in America increased tenfold from 1960 to 2000. The U.S. Census estimates that about 10 million people are living with someone of the opposite sex. That totals about 8 percent of U.S. coupled households. Most unmarried partners who live together are between 25 and 34 years of age. It once was stigmatized as "living in sin" or "shacking up," but now cohabitation has replaced dating. It has become mainstream as a way to discover if a person is a suitable partner for life. While marriage as an ideal is not dead,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2006 -- Victory in Iraq requires doing all that’s necessary to support the country’s newly elected government, ensuring its regional neighbors do the same, and promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today. Bush and Blair addressed the White House press corps following a White House meeting that focused on Iraq and recommendations of the Iraq Study Group report, released yesterday. Bush said success in Iraq hasn’t come as quickly as he expected, and he acknowledged that the United States and Great Britain are facing “a...

WASHINGTON - American support for the fledgling Iraqi government is not unconditional, and Iraq should expect changes in the U.S. role, incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Saturday. "In the days ahead, the Iraqis must make the tough decisions and accept responsibility for their future," Hoyer, D-Md., said during the weekly Democratic radio address. "And the Iraqis must know: Our commitment, while great, is not unending." Hoyer's comments were taped Wednesday, before an escalation in sectarian violence in Iraq. At least 215 Shiites were killed in bomb and mortar attacks Thursday in Sadr City. Shiites retaliated Friday by burning...

The Prime Minister, John Howard, says he still supports Australia's controversial involvement in the Vietnam War. Mr Howard made the comment as he was leaving Ho Chi Minh City at the end of his first official visit to Vietnam. He told reporters he will not recant his support for Australia's military role in Vietnam in the 1960s and '70s. "I supported our involvement at the time and I don't intend to recant that," Mr Howard said. "I believe that in public life you are accountable for the decisions that you take. "I didn't hold any position of authority then, but...

For Americans, November is a month we give thanks for our blessings and express our appreciation for those we love. We pause this time of year to celebrate all that makes our lives fulfilling ? our families, our friends, our way of life in this, the richest, freest and most inspiring country the world has ever known. On Veterans Day and this Month of the Military Family, America thanks those who serve, defend, and support not just America's shores but her ideals, and deliver not just her might but her message of freedom. I have experienced service, commitment, and sacrifice...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2006 -- America stands committed to its military members, to the Iraqis and to victory in the war on terror, President Bush said today during a White House news conference following yesterday’s elections and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation today. “Amid this time of change, I have a message for those on the front lines,” Bush said. “To our enemies, do not be joyful. Do not confuse the workings of our democracy with a lack of will,” he said. “Our nation is committed to bringing you to justice. Liberty and democracy are the source of America's...

by Fr. Jerome Magat Other Articles by Fr. Jerome Magat Marriage, in the Beginning 10/07/06 Of all the moral teachings that our Lord gave us during His time on earth, He was never more specific in His instruction than when He discussed marriage. The Pharisees tested Jesus on this particular teaching by referencing the law that permitted divorce which had been given to them through Moses. In order to fulfill the law, our blessed Lord both explains the rationale behind the concession that Moses made in regards to divorce and elevates our understanding of marriage by returning us to an original...

BAGHDAD — As a unit of Iraqi Soldiers this week reaffirmed their loyalty and commitment to the future of their country, Iraqi security forces in the capital began to see the results of their commitment to bringing increased security and social and economic improvements to the area. Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, re-affirmed their allegiance to Iraq in a ceremony this week at Forward Operating Base Constitution. Attended by the entire brigade of Soldiers and their leadership, the event was the first of its kind for the brigade since its inception a year ago, said Capt. Robert...

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Prodded by Britain's visiting leader, the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president said Sunday they are ready to resume contacts without conditions — a small step that many people hope could lead to resuming peace talks. British Prime Minister Tony Blair also tried to draw Hamas into peace efforts, but the militant Islamic group that controls the Palestinian government rejected his condition that it first renounce violence and recognize Israel. Despite Hamas' tough stance, the readiness of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to meet was the first sign of movement in...